ATLANTA — Atlanta's culture aficionados are coming together for a week of performances, community engagement and thought-provoking panels aiming to bridge the gap between music and technology at the first annual Milk and Cookies Week.
Milk and Cookies Week (MCW) offers attendees a six-day experience.
Festival goers can expect a wide variety of events, including a brunch that honors Black Music Moguls, songwriting camps for independent artists, live concert pieces such as it's LVRN Unplugged event headlined by Mobile rapper Flo Milli, as well as two panels focused on the fusion between music and technology.
Jhordan Gibbs, Morehouse alumni and co-founder of Milk and Cookies, believes the stereotypes about the technology industry are changing as music industry leaders reimagine how to innovate the way people consume music. Gibb says the music industry needs to be privy to incoming technological advancements so leaders can make them digestible to the masses.
"We're seeing a boom in music tech startups as well," Gibbs said. "Understanding both of those communities simultaneously, what's trending on both sides is really important to be able to drive what happens over the next ten, 20 or 30 years in both of those spaces."
Although consumers are becoming more aware of advancements in artificial intelligence, contemporary changes in entertainment technology are not abnormal. Over the years, listeners have transitioned from consuming music through vinyl and CDs to Apple iPods and online streaming services. Ghibbs says the music industry is on the precipice of finding new ways to operate.
"I think the jobs are going to change; we'll probably see layoffs first as the industry adjust and adapts, and then you'll still need people who have a sharp ear who can understand music and also understand analytics," Gibbs said. " If it's just purely analytics, you're going to miss cultural nuances."
Those attending the first music technology panel on Wednesday at Georgia State's campus can expect to hear discussion from Rachel Jackson, Craig King, Ameer Brown, Asante Bradford and Junia Abidaoo about new technologies in music that create opportunities for artists and industry professionals. On Thursday, there will be another panel at The Culture Lab in Resonant Studios ATL discussing the impact of technological advancements on the music industry, music creation and consumption. The last music technology panel will be held on Saturday and aims to provide insight into how artists can use technology to innovate their merchandise.
"I'm also excited to learn as we go, we want to be in rooms learning things that we wish someone else told us," Gibbs said.
Atlanta is not an exception to being a subject of the change scene in these industries.
This novelty was seen more recently during the rap beef involving Atlanta's Metro Boomin', Kendrick Lamar and Drake. During the beef, Atlanta was famously named as one of Drake's biggest inspirations in Lamar's song Euphoria after Drake released a freestyle (which is no longer on streaming platforms) named Taylor Made, where he used AI versions of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg to complement his verses. Award-winning producer Metro Boomin' also created a diss-beat entitled BBL Drizzy, which created a new space for user-generated music as fans ran to TikTok to create their own renditions of the song.
"I think we're kind of seeing the beginnings of it," Gibbs said. " I think this may open up a lot more creativity for content creators."
After NINE TWO FIVE, a Canada-based agency, reached out to Gibbs and his co-founders about working with talent, specifically in Atlanta, Gibbs and his team knew Milk and Cookies Week had to incorporate programming that could help artists create tangible products to propel themselves forward.
Artists from Atlanta and otherwise attending the CANATL Songwriting Camps on Monday or Tuesday can expect full days of creating "unique, genre-blending sounds."
Panels and songwriting workshops aside, Gibbs says the event he's looking forward to the most is the Unplugged Kickoff Concert with LVRN and Flo Milli, which will be held Wednesday night at Westside Motor Lounge.
"That's going to be an incredible experience," Gibbs said. "So I would say if I had to choose one [event], I would say to go to Unplugged."
At the heart of the Milk and Cookies mission is a love for music. Gibbs and three of his other Morehouse brothers, Kevin Reese, Chase Freeman and Gregory Burton. Before Milk and Cookies was what fans know it to be today, Ghibbs and his co-founders had a company called Atlantic Division Entertainment, which began after a friend enlisted their help spreading awareness about him opening up for Wale.
"From there I got to see how the show developed, be behind the scenes," Gibbs said as he recalled his experience being backstage at a B.O.B. and T.I. show in 2009. "I think for me to be able to see that in real-time and know what was about to unfold and then watch it unfold left an imprint."
Milk and Cookies was born in 2015. One fateful night after a rave held at Masquerade, the quartet realized they needed to create a more inclusive musical experience for more diverse audiences and genres. Milk and Cookies became an entertainment environment that could be or sound like anything, and according to Ghibbs, the event agency is not nearly done expanding.
Gibbs and his co-founders are also working on expanding into the health and wellness space as well as gaming in the future.
"You come to our events, you have a good time and you literally will make a friend," Gibbs said. " Just stay tuned because we have a lot more in store."
People interested in attending can purchase tickets to Milk and Cookies Week online.
